Why FOX Should Televise the 2011 Gold Cup Final On Its National TV Network

As recently reported, FSC FOX Soccer is going through an exciting rebrand in time for the new EPL season. As exciting as that sounds, FOX is missing a chance to generate buzz right now with the Gold Cup. The Gold Cup, now in its knockout stages, will have possibly two weekend games for the US men’s national team — which is a source of very good ratings. Yet FOX Soccer will probably have these games on FOX Soccer and not on FOX, the national TV network.

FOX has shown enthusiasm with its increased soccer coverage by having on-site coverage of the Champions League Final shown on the FOX network. Granted the coverage was subpar, but the fact that a US network was willing to set up shop in Europe for a game was unprecedented (and costly). A live on-site broadcast of the Gold Cup Final for LA based FOX would be far cheaper and would allow FOX to reap the rewards of a potential USA vs Mexico final. FOX has an extremely simple task of just setting up their Soccer Night in America studio at the Rose Bowl and allowing JP Dellacamera and Kyle Martino to provide their coverage to a nationwide audience of rabid soccer fans watching FOX, the TV network.

Now FOX could go the extra mile and pick up the Jamaica quarterfinal match at RFK this Sunday but it’s a little late for that. It’s a shame because it could have possibly garnered decent ratings on Fathers Day away from a Tiger-less US Open on NBC.

If you’re wondering, FOX’s coverage of NASCAR ended a few weeks ago so the Sunday afternoon slot is currently empty. Saturday nights for FOX involve COPS and America’s Most Wanted which are not vital programs and could sit the night out. So the call goes out to you…do you think FOX should show the Gold Cup Final on FOX, the national TV network which is in more than 102 million homes nationwide? Share your opinions in the comments section below.

Pretty low, usually around a .2 (200,000 households). However, if Fox can push it for a week and build up the “important tournament championship/underdog” angle, they could probably get a decent rating from it. Not exactly World Cup ratings, but I’d bet something pretty solid.

They are showing it on their national network. Fox Soccer is national. Now if you mean their “broadcast” network, that’s a different story.

The assertion that COPS and AMW are “not vital programs” shows the immaturity which so many commentators who are blinded by their loyalty to soccer bring to this kind of discussion. Cops and AMW gain in the 3-4M range, which is fantastic for prime-time Saturday. To Fox, winning the night with these shows makes them “vital.” I’m sure the contracts which they have also make them “vital.” But what’s a contract when some soccer fans want to showcase their favorite sport?

You also show your ignorance on at least two other levels. First off, the game is scheduled for a 9 p.m. Eastern kickoff time. Guess what happens at 10 p.m. on Fox affiliates? That’s local network time. So you’re going to take away an hour (or more depending on if the game runs over) of local news and syndicated programming because you think the Champions League Final has a direct transitive relationship to the Gold Cup final.

Your second mistake is forgetting the time zone issue. While it’s 9 in the East and you are pushing aside Cops (there is no AMW on that night), you’re cutting into local programming on the West Coast. Wonder how those affiliates would like that news. Likely, they have clauses which would allow them to bump the broadcast. But not in your world where every decision is determined by whether you like soccer or not.

And let’s not even get into how you’re going to gut local programming and possibly Fox’s Sunday night lineup so you can watch the US match Sunday on a channel in the single digits just to sooth your feelings.

Typical small-minded, egotistical, drivel from this site. At least Kartik had the sense to make up some good stuff to pretend he knew what he was talking about.

don’t get mad Rabble Rouser, he just wants the same thing we all want, more games to be shown.

3-4 million for Cops and AMW. Wow. That is why I am asking about ESPN ratings, you can’t just assume that if you don’t watch a show, soccer will beat it out. Maybe they get that much for the USMNT ?
For Barca-ManU it wasn’t even half of that.

via Soccer America:
According to figures compiled by Nielsen Media Research, the telecasts delivered a 2.1 rating and 6 share; which represents 4.2 million viewers nationally. (The share is the percentage of U.S. households with televisions in use that were tuned to the game.)
Compared to the 2010 final, the gains were 75 percent and 91 percent, respectively, over the 1.2 rating yielded by FOX and Fox Sports en Espanol (now Fox Deportes) that represented an audience of 2.2 million.

You stated your points intelligently and I understand that you are coming from your US conditioned mind. In your world you only see soccer as a sport that people only go crazy for in South America and Europe. You are saying this is the (US market) and the bean counters dont see the numbers coming in. If all things are left the same you are probably right. But the reality is all variables can be CHANGED. 1) The quality of your broadcasts SUCK, the announcers are football dunce, biased and have no passion. The producers dont have a clue about showing the important parts of the game. (Putting the camera on the coach while the game is going on is dumb. Running reruns while the game is in motion is ignorant….there are many more stupid things that they do during the games.) I know that they dont understand they probably never liked the game, but its a JOB. But it works for American football, basketball and baseball (whats the difference its only soccer). I know that we all create our own reality and you or your bean counters will never understand a Football fan.

So for for the Gold Cup broadcasts, FSC don’t even show the substitutes’ list when presenting the lineup graphic.

What a bunch of inept phuckwits !

What other major broadcaster in the world showing a regional championship omits the substitutes’ list? I went to the CONCACAF site for the full match report, and the substitutes’ list is not there either. Not really surprising as we all know by know CONCACAF administrators are a bunch of useless, corrupt mofos.

II would be happy if all the games were televised in Fox Soccer at least. The Univision telecast is terrible. They have a former player (Hugo Sanchez) that is a disgrace to the telecast. Last Saturday he spent all his opportunities to insult the Costa Rican coach. That was not all, he was lying about Lavolpe’s accomplishments as a coach and the other guys working with him were not even serious to correct him. It was so disgusting that I wanted to turn the TV off. It would be great to have the game on Fox but I do not think it will happen.

I think they should work up to putting it on FOX. I think they should show the semis and the final on FX during the next Gold Cup and the one after the World Cup in Brazil should be on FOX. But I’m still hoping for a true Copa America in my life time to compete with UEFA European Football Championship, now that would be bid on by the major networks and shown on boardcast TV.

They would have to have qualifying for it too since a combined Americas Confederation would have almost the same amount of countries as Europe and I am alnost 100 percent sure that the biog heads at the US federation would not want that because the chance of making it would be slim and making a world cup would even be harder. I think they like the easy route of world cup qualifying in North America because we would never qualify if we had to play any team from South America.

Assuming the audience is 3 to 4 million for AMW, etc., given the 4.2 Million viewers so far for early games, a matchup between the U.S. and Mexico in the final would dwarf that number so I don’t think the affiliates would complain with the higher advertising revenue from the younger demographic and larger audience (afterall this happens during baseball broadcasts during the playoffs) so I don’t think that person knows what he is talking about and probably some angry baseball, football or basketball fan seeing what he considers a foreign sport to succeed here. While Mexico is sadly a better draw than the U.S. team, the fact is Mexico is also more of a guarantee reaching the final making a decision such as this more important.

Making a point of distinguishing between broadcast and cable is actually dumb because the point that was being made is the reach of Fox in terms of households is much greater than Fox Soccer which is available in far less homes.

FSC is pathetic, they only show USA matches in the gold cup which i find to be bullshit. Hell Americans don’t even like soccer as much as the immigrant population in the states that would have enjoyed watching there country.
I have to watch some dam Spanish to see interesting non USA matches..

In soccer USA is not that good and will never be with such little respect for the game.

Okay, anybody betting on a final not featuring Mexico vs USA is going to lose money.

Mexico vs USA will draw BIG ratings. Fox would be dumb not to have it on their national network. Of course, they would be even dumber if they allow the weather to interfere their broadcast again like they did to the poor people of Minneapolis – St. Paul.

Only problem is, most would (and still) watch the game for free either way on Univision. Comcast does not offer Fox Soccer in HD and Univision does.

My only problem with Univision is Hugo Sanchez commentating. Those of you who don’t speak Spanish would still suffer from his horrible voice. He sucks at commentating and offers nothing of substance to say.